


The Galra Way

by maddymayscrawls



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Rite of Passage, and writing on a time limit is STRESSFUL, but I managed, galra - Freeform, heritage, making up space food names is HARD, naka kon, naka kon 2018, naka2018, the rest of team voltron is mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 12:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14020686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddymayscrawls/pseuds/maddymayscrawls
Summary: Naka Kon 2018 Iron Fic Contest Honorable MentionKeith returns to team Voltron. Lotor takes an interest and offers to teach him about his Galra heritage.





	The Galra Way

**Author's Note:**

> Nobody wants to hear me gush about placing in a contest, I know. But with this being the second year in a row I'm a little giddy :) Honorable mention obviously isn't the most prestigious prize, but considering there were 61 contestants I will take 4th best as a high honor. 
> 
> Now if only I could get myself to write more than once a year....

The walls surrounding Keith had never seemed more foreign. Of course, an alien spaceship millions of lightyears from Earth could never be familiar, but after being away with the blades to train as a rebel fighter for almost a year he had hoped this would be a sort of...homecoming. Instead he was greeted with cold metal walls, distant comrades who were now unsure of how to address him, and a new presence: Lotor. 

It wasn't that Keith particularly disliked Lotor. The Galra prince had saved his life, albeit unknowingly, and Keith personally believed his claims of wanting to change the Galra from a bloodthirsty society of planetary destruction to a peaceful alliance with the rest of the universe. Still, he couldn't help but feel...hurt. Before Keith had gone away, after his Galra heritage had been revealed, he had never really felt the acceptance of his friends and, especially, Princess Allura. There was still that lingering shred of doubt that he could feel, even as the team hugged him goodbye. Yet here Lotor was, half Galra himself, joking with the paladins and sharing intimate moments with the princess. It just didn't seem fair that the man who used to rule the race that would see the entire universe in ruins could be trusted, but Keith couldn't.

Needless to say, relationships were strained on the castle ship for a while. The team wasn't sure how to interact with their comrade who had left for almost a year, and Keith couldn't bring himself to be open with with his friends while this raging whirl of jealousy sat in his gut. Only Lotor seemed immune to the tension, going about his life directing missions and providing aid as usual.

In fact, it was Lotor who was the first to reach out to Keith. He approached him in his room one evening after dinner.

"Red Paladin," he spoke in a way that commanded Keith's attention, "It is my understanding that you are of Galra descent."

Keith swallowed heavily. He felt nervous, but he didn't know why. "Uh...Yah, I am." he replied.

Lotor smiled, catching Keith off guard. It was a soft smile, uncharacteristic for Lotor. "I would like to make a proposal. It would be my honor to tech you the Galra ways. I know what it is like to be disconnected from your heritage. I know I never quite enjoyed it. So please, allow me to aid in your understanding."

Keith pondered for a moment. It was true. He didn’t know much about his Galra side. The Blades were so far removed from the Galra history that they couldn’t offer much, though they had tried. To hear the information directly from a Galra heir would be amazing.

“I would like that.” was his simple response.

And so began their evening routine. Lotor would come into Keith’s room to recount tales, customs, and legends. He told of ancient heroes and cultural relics that were long since forgotten by nearly all of the race. The information had Keith enthralled. Each night he looked forward to the knowledge he would gain, and he found that the more he learned about his heritage, the more he understood himself.

It was nearly a month later that Lotor burst into Keith’s room, a frantic look on his face.

“What’s wrong?!” Keith instinctively reached for his knife, wary of any danger that may be nearby.

“Keith!” Lotor exclaimed, “Lance has told me that you have been alive for nineteen cycles of your planet’s solar revolutions!”

Keith blinked slowly, wrapping his head arround the odd way of stating, “You’re 19.”

“Um…yes?”

“You have not yet completed the ritual of Zal Creet!”

Keith blinked again, at a loss this time, “The what?”

Lotor seemed to compose himself then, taking a deep breath and clearing his throat, “The Zal Creet is an ancient Galra ritual which must be completed to enter adulthood. It is a…rite of passage if you will.”

Now he had Keith’s attention. A rite of passage? Sounded right up his alley. 

“Okay,” He said calmly, “What do I have to do?”

It turned out not to be a simple task, though it wasn’t a particularly dangerous one either. He had to fly to many different planets to collect supplies. A zimwilt root, water from the Shaldrake Falls, the fruit of a pickawut tree, a Kalterk flower of the deepest violet, and fresh cow’s milk. He was caught off guard by the cow’s milk, but it was at least easy to obtain thanks to the team’s resident cow, Kaltenecker. 

Once the supplies were gathered, he had to combine everything except for the flower into a stew. He had wanted to ask for Hunk’s help since the gourmand would certainly have better luck than Keith, but Lotor insisted the ritual be completed entirely alone. The stew came out smelling absolutely putrid, and Keith had to remind himself that this was all for his Galra side. The human side that was disgusted at the smell would just have to be ignored.

The flower that was left out was ground into a fine purple ink. Keith then followed Lotor’s instructions to apply the color to his skin in a pattern of ceremonial markings. He wanted to object to having to be in his boxers for this, but again, his pride would just have to take a backseat. 

The final step was for all of Keith’s closest friends (AKA the other paladins, Allura, and Coran) to gather in a room with Keith. Keith stood on a table with his markings on display and held his stew in his hands. Then, he spoke an oath he had practiced with Lotor.

“I, keith Kogane, with the witness of my loved ones, accept the blood my ancestors. From this day forth I will strive to live up to my Galra name and bring honor, glory, and victory to my race. Vrepit Sa.

With that, he took a larger bite of the rancid stew. He tried very hard to swallow it down. However, it was simply too much, and he instead found himself emptying the contents of his stomach on the floor.

The biggest shock came over I’m when he heard a familiar, boisterous laugh from in front of him. He looked up to see Lance wipe away a tear and hit five Lotor. 

“Dude!” Lance exclaimed, “I can’t believe you fell for that!”

“Wh-what?” Keith was having trouble grasping the situation.

“There is no Zal Creet.” Lotor explained, holding back a smile himself, “It was a ruse. I believe your species would call it a prank.”

Keith stared in disbelief. A prank?! He had been pranked?! By Lance and Lotor?? 

“I went through all of that…for nothing?” He wanted to be angry, furious even. That had been way too elaborate for a plank. He had wasted so much time and energy thinking he was finding his roots when really all he was doing was setting himself up to be humiliated! Instead, he found that he could only smile.

He was finally a part of the family again.

**Author's Note:**

> So there you have it! I admit it isn't the best work I could have done, but it was written in one hour in a room where all I had was a pen and paper, so it is what it is. Feedback would be appreciated!


End file.
